The invention of a ball for various sports and recreational play is one of those universal inventions that have brought a wide range of emotions (joy, pride, disappointment, sense of accomplishment, etc.) to both players and spectators alike through the ages in addition to the basic benefit of good health and physique for those actively involved. Though most sports can be distinguished by their rules of play, and sizes and shapes of playing fields and surfaces, an important factor in nuances of different games is the size, shape, material and finish of the ball. Among the ball shapes, spherical balls are the most prevalent and widely used in different sports. In instances where aerodynamics is an issue, as in American football or rugby, the shape of the ball is more streamlined and pointed.
Among spherical balls, various designs can be distinguished by the number of “panels” or individual parts that comprise the ball surface. These balls, termed “multi-panel” balls, include balls of varying sizes, materials and methods of construction. Many of these, especially smaller balls, have two panels (“2-panel” balls), which are joined or formed together as in baseballs, cricket balls, field hockey balls, tennis balls, table tennis balls, etc. Some of these sports balls have a “solid” interior as in baseballs or cricket balls, while others are hollow as in tennis or ping-pong balls. Multi-panel sports balls are usually hollow and of larger size since the balls are usually made from sheet surfaces which are cut or molded in small pieces that are then joined to make a larger sphere through various techniques such as stitching or joining (welding, gluing, etc.). In some instances, like imitation soccer balls or beach balls, various multi-panel designs are graphically printed on the ball surface. Common multi-panel sports balls include the standard soccer ball with 32 panels from a mix of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons, for example.
Multi-panel sports balls usually have more than one layer to increase its performance. An inner bladder layer may be surrounded by an exterior cover layer. An intermediate layer is added in some instances, as in the 2006 World Cup soccer ball, for example. A variety of multi-panel sports balls exist in the market and in the literature, and there is a constant need to improve the available designs for their performance, aesthetic or game-playing appeal, or branded uniqueness, for example.